Tunnel-form.



2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented May 22, 1917.

mvENTon.

nfonncvs TUNNEL FORM.

APPUCATION FILED FEB. 5. 1916.

H. B. LOXTERMAN.

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H. B. LOXTERMAN.

TUNNEL FGRM.

APPLLcATloN FILED FEB.5,1916.

Patented May 22, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD B. IOXTERIVIAN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO BLAWSTEEL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, OF HOBOKEN, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OPNEW JERSEY.

TUN NEL-FORM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 5, 1916. Serial No. 76,346.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, Howard) l5. Lox'rnn- MAN,a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Tunnel-liorms7 of which the following aspecification.

This invention relates to tunnel forms and more particularly to thatclass of forms used in the construction of concrete lined tunnels andhas for its principal objects the provision oit' a tunnel forni whichmay readily be built up in the field to serve for torming tunnels ot'various dimensions, the provision of a mold form that may be moved intooperative position with a minimum of elevating apparatus7 the provisionot a mold form that may be built up of a plurality of panels havingstandard dimensions to accommodate tunnels of various dimensions andsuch other objects as may hereinafter appear. Certain embodiments of theinvention .are illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein- Figure1 is an end elevation of the form set up ready to receive the concrete;Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 11.-11 of Fig. 1; and Fig.8 is an end view of a modified form oi? the invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the apparatus comprises a ceiling mold form1 and side mold forms 2 and 3 which are built up of a plurality of formpanels 4. Each panel consists of a rectangular form plate stitiened onall sides by angle irons 5 secured permanently to the plate adjacent theedges thereof.

The panels 4 of the ceiling mold are tied with their edges abutting to apair of supporting channels 6 by means of the short tie rods 7 whichextend between the ends of the panels 4 and are bolted between theangles 5 by bolts S. The free ends of the tie rods are threaded toreceive the nuts 9 which take bearing upon the cross plates 10 whichconnect the supporting channels G. Thus the panels 4 may be secured tothe supporting` channels 6 in any adjusted position.

The panels 4, which form the side mold forms 2 and 3, are tied tovertical supporting channels 11 and 12 respectively, by tie rods 13, ina manner similar to the method employed in securing the panels 4 to thesupporting channels G.

Between cach pair olf vertial channels 11 and 12 and adjacent theirupper ends, is securely bolted a connecting plate 14, which is adaptedto lit between the supporting channels G adjacent the extreme endsthereof. The plates 14 are provided with horizontal slots 15 throughwhich the bolts 1t pass, the said bolts` being adapted to extend throughthe webs or' the channels 6 where they are rigidly secured by means ot'nuts. It will be seen,y therefore, that the side forms may be adjustedlaterally with respect to the Ceiling form tor a purpose to behereinutter described.

For the purpose oi moving the mold torni from one position to another atruck 17 is provided which consists of a pair oi channels 18 secured inspaced relation by means of the wheel bearing clips 19 which are securedto the underside of the channels 1S. 1iiheels 20 are pivoted between theclips 19 vand are adapted toroll upon the rails 21 when the form isbeing moved to another position.

Connecting plates 22 are adjustably supported upon the truck between thechannels 17 and are held in position by the bolts 28 which extendthrough the webs of the channels and the slots 24 cut in the plates 22.The outer ends of the plates 22 are securely bolted between the lowerends of the vertical channels 11 and 12 and between the angles 5 of thelowermost panels 4. The connecting plates 14 are connected by means of atie-rod 25 provided with a turn buckle 2G, and the connecting plates 22are connected by means oi" a tie-rod 27 provided with a turn buckle 2S.Adjustment of the turnbuckles 26 and 28 will result in movement of theside mold forms 2 and 3 with respect to the ceiling mold forni 1.

The space between the side forms and the ceiling forms at the uppercorners is covered by means of angle corner plates 29 which are providedwith stifening angles 30 adapted to be secured to the top edge of thepanels 4 forming the side walls. The horizontal portion of the plate isadapted to overlap the ceiling mold when the side mold forms are intheir extended position as shown in Fic'. 1, and to be supported by itheceiling ni-cld. It will be seen that the various parts of this form maybe used for tunnels of ai-ions dimensions by simply changing thedimensions of the corner plates 29 to take care of alterations in thesize ol the tunnel. V

Heretofore it has been the custom to elevate the form to the desiredposition by means of jack screws, but in the present case a much simplerand cheaper means is employed which consists in providing a lwedge blockfor each truck wheel for supporting' the truck in elevated operativeposition while the concrete is formed upon the mold. The operation ofthe device is as follows. First the form is assembled to its approximatesize and mounted upon the rails 2l. At this time the side :forms aredrawn toward each other and occupy their eXtreme collapsed position. Theceiling form is also lower than the predetermined elevation of thetunnel ceiling, a distance equivalent to the thickness of the wedges.The wedge blocks are placed so that when the truck wheels 20 engage thefiat surface the form will be in its proper position. The form is thenadvanced along the rails until the wheels engage the inclined surface 33of the wedge blocks. Further movement of the form will cause the wheels2O to roll up the inclined portion of the wedges thereby elevating theform to operative position. After vthe form has been moved up upon thewedges so that the ceiling mold l is in operative elevation, the sideforms 2 and 3 are then pushed outward the desired distance by rotationot' the turn buckles 26 and 28.

After the concrete has been poured to form the tunnel. and has becomeset, the Wedges 31 are knocked out from under the forms by means of aheavy maul and when the side forms are collapsed the form will settledown so that the wheels again engage the rails. The form is then readyto be advanced into a new position.

Referring to F ig. Q'it will be seen that the forms may be connected insuch manner that a number of sections may be joined to form a mold ofconsiderable length.

Fig. 3 shows a modiiied form of mold form built up of panels ifsupported in a manner similar to that previously described, thediiference in construction residing in the use of two separate tie rods3i and 55 each secured at one end to a rigid central plate 3G and at theouter end to the connecting plates la. rThis construction makes it possible to adjust the top of each side mold independently ot the otherside wheel.

The lower ends of the side mold forms are moved in and out by means of aratchet screw 3T which is more readily adjusted than a turn buckle.

For the purpose of elevating the mold form to operative position, thecross channels lS are suspended from the truck 17 by means of the eyebolts 3S, (only one oi. which is shown) which are pivoted between thechannels 1S at one end and secured to the truck l/ by means et theadjusting nut 39. The ilorm therefore raised and .lowered by means ofthe nut 3S).

It is obvious that many changes in detail may be made without departingfrom the spirit of the invention and the invention not limited to thespecilic means herein illustrated.

That I claim is:

l. A mold form comprising, a ceiling form, a pair of side forms, a.lranie member for supporting the ceiling form, a pair of vertical framemembers for supporting the side forms adjustably attached to the ceilingform support, a truck adjustably attached to the lower ends oi' the sidemold supports and adapted to support them, means attached to the upperand lower ends of the side form supports for moving the side formstoward each other, and a plate carried by the side forms adapted toslidably engage the ceiling form and to constitute a part of the ceilingform.

A mold form comprising, a ceiling form built up of a plurality ofabutting panel' forms, a pair of side forms built up of a plurality ofpanel forms, a frame member for supporting the ceiling panel forms, apair of vertical frame members for supporting the panels otl the side`terms, means for securing the panels to the frame members, means foradjustably securing the frame support for the ceiling forms to thevertical frame members, and a corner plate carried by the side formadapted to slidably engage the ceiling form and to constitute a part ofthe ceiling form.

HOW/TARD B. LOXTERMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C."

